Trial of labor after one cesarean: role of the order and number of prior vaginal births on the risk of emergency cesarean delivery and neonatal admission.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influences of mode of immediate preceding delivery and number of prior vaginal births on the risk of repeat cesarean and neonatal admission at attempted vaginal birth after cesarean.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective study of the risk factors for emergency repeat cesarean delivery and neonatal admission in a trial of labor after prior cesarean section. The study comprised 342 women at term with at least one prior vaginal delivery in addition to one previous lower transverse cesarean. Clinical variables with crude p < 0.2 on Fisher's exact test for the defined primary outcomes of repeat cesarean and neonatal admission were included in the model for multivariable logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Cesarean as the immediate preceding mode of delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 5.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.5-10.8) was an independent predictor of emergency repeat cesarean delivery but not of neonatal admission. Higher parity of two or more previous vaginal deliveries compared with only one prior vaginal delivery was not associated with repeat cesarean or neonatal admission.


CONCLUSIONS
In women who have had prior vaginal birth attempting a trial of labor after cesarean, a vaginal delivery before cesarean delivery is an independent risk factor for repeat cesarean. Women with two or more prior vaginal births have a similar risk for repeat cesarean and neonatal admission to women with only one prior vaginal birth.
Tan
Peng Chiong
PC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. pctan@um.edu.my
Subramaniam
Revathy Nadesan
RN
Omar
Siti Zawiah
SZ
D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017604:Cesarean Section, Repeat / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008296:Malaysia; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014219:Trial of Labor; D016064:Vaginal Birth after Cesarean / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*